Check out what I got in the mail today!! Google wants to track my internet usage!

Check out what I got in the mail today!! Google wants to track my internet usage!

I received this letter from a company that goes by the name of Screenwise Select, they want me to participate in a study they claim is going to record my internet usage through a special modem they will be sending me upon accepting to participate in their study. This company goes by the name of GfK and say that they will be conducting this study on behalf of Google.

On top of all that, they send me a real $2 dollar bill (kinda bribing me in) and say how they will pay me $100.00 dollars the first month and $50 dollars every month after that! J

I find this extremely weird and what an invasion of privacy!!

I will take pictures of the letter and post them on a hosting site with links.

Also this J. Micheal Dennis, Ph.D seems to have signed the letter below... anyone have any dirt on this guy?

Re: Check out what I got in the mail today!! Google wants to track my internet usage!

why do you think you got this letter? did you sign up or it is totally random?

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1534886

No, the thing is that I'm at work now and I do all the mail for my boss, so this is very bizarre to both of us, because she rarely ever uses the computer... just emails and local search... like doctors and companies.

Re: Check out what I got in the mail today!! Google wants to track my internet usage!

Check out their website.. I could only access this information with a special code.

<<<

Thank you for considering joining the Screenwise Select Panel . We hope that the following information will help you decide to be a part of this important study.

Introduction to the Screenwise Select Panel

This website provides you with details, answer frequently asked questions, (for example, how do we collect and safely transmit data securely, how your personal identifiable information will be used, etc.) and, if you decide to do so, the opportunity to enroll in our research program.

If you have any further questions please contact us at 1-888-701-4577 or email us at info@screenwiseselect.com.

Six Important Things To Know About The Screenwise Select Panel

1. What Is The Screenwise Select Panel For?

The Screenwise Select Panel is a new research project being conducted for Google by GfK. The goal of the research is to gather information about your Internet usage, TV viewing and smartphone usage. Your household has been randomly selected from all the households in the U.S. to participate in this project. By participating, you will help Google better understand how people like you use the Internet and television.

2. Who Is Eligible To Participate?

The first step to participate is for an adult (18 years old or older) to complete an online questionnaire that takes about 10 minutes to complete. This questionnaire will determine if you are eligible to participate. We will ask you some basic questions about your household’s background, lifestyle, and preferences.

3. What Do You Get For Joining The Screenwise Select Panel ?

We have found that many panel members enjoy participating and knowing that they are helping to improve our understanding of media usage.

If you are qualified and agree to participate, you will receive a gift of $100 once you set up your household. For ongoing participation, your household will get at least $30 and up to $50 or more each month.

4. How Does The Study Measure Internet Use?

For most households, all you need to do is install a simple piece of hardware (a high-end router we call the Screenwise Router). We will mail this to your home, including easy-to-follow instructions to install. However, if you have any trouble, GfK will be here to support you by phone, email, or by going to your home to help out. The Router works with computers and other devices that you might have connected to your home network.

The Router will transmit information about your household’s Internet use (for example, what web sites are visited) to Google’s secure servers.

For households who qualify for the smartphone measurement portion of the Screenwise Select Panel, participants will be asked to install an ‘app’ on their smartphone from Lumi that will measure their Internet and mobile phone usage.

Please review the Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

How will information about my household be used?

GfK will not sell your contact information (i.e. your name, street address, or e-mail address) to third parties. GfK may use portions of your address in an effort to continually improve the panel. If you would like a complete list of the third parties GfK may use, please contact us at info@screenwiseselect.com. For further information about how GfK will use your personal information, please review the Knowledge Networks Screenwise Select Panel Privacy Policy. The Google Screenwise Select Panel Privacy Policy describes how Google will collect, use and share data from this project.

GfK and Google will be collecting and storing information about how you use the Internet and television (and smartphone, if applicable) in connection with demographic categorical information about your household. For example, your usage would be combined with race, Hispanic origin, age, and Census-block data, but NOT with your contact information. GfK will use your contact information to make sure everything is running smoothly with the router, TV tab, and smartphone software. Google will not collect any information entered within secured (https) web pages, such as banking or credit card information, although Google may collect URL data when you visit a secured https web page. For example, we may collect that you visited [link to mail.google.com (secure)] but we will not collect any information that you enter on the website, as long as that information does not appear in the URL.

Detailed information on what will be collected and how your data will used can be found here.

5. How Does The Study Measure Television Viewing?

For each of your TVs, we will provide a device called the Screenwise TV Tab. The Screenwise TV Tab is the size of a smartphone. It will collect information that will be used to determine what is being viewed on TV, as well as when and for how long it is viewed.

The Screenwise TV Tab is measuring the sound coming out of your television speaker and therefore must be placed near the speaker. These sounds then are changed into “audio signatures.” Only these signatures, and nothing else, will be sent to Google via the Screenwise TV Tab. These “audio signatures” cannot be used to play sound or listen to what was captured - they contain raw data that is later used to match with a database of signatures to determine what program was being watched.

6. What Else Should I Know About Information Privacy?

If you elect to join this program, you are required to read and agree to the Screenwise Select Panel Privacy Policies. Please be sure to review these privacy policies, as you are agreeing to the following key items, as well as others:GfK may collect and share with Google the age, gender, race, media usage, and education level of the members of your household, along with other data you provide as part of the panel.As a member of the panel, you are authorizing Google to collect data about the websites you visit and the duration of time you spend on them, as detailed in the privacy policy.DoubleClick Cookie: your participation in the program requires that you agree to allow Google to tie your data (including PII) collected during your participation in Screenwise to your DoubleClick cookie. This means that Google will be able to show targeted ads to you based on both aggregated data about you as outlined on the Google Ad Preference Manager, but also based on data including your personally identifiable information. Additionally, your agreement will allow Google to combine existing cookies on your computers with any new cookies added to your computers during the course of the panel.If you choose, you can also browse privately on the Internet, through a home computer (desktop/laptop/tablet), at any time during your participation in the panel. To do so, you login as a guest on the Screenwise Router. For participants using the smartphone application, this option will not be available.Google and its vendors may also collect information about your household’s television viewing habits and smartphone usage, as described in the privacy policy.What do I do NEXT?

If you are ready to determine if your household is eligible click the JOIN NOW button.

Re: Check out what I got in the mail today!! Google wants to track my internet usage!

Google is also offering an even more extensive and lucrative plan for those who don't mind sharing information from multiple computers. This second program involves setting up a data collector router to the local network in addition to installing the browser plugin. Google will pay participants $100 for just signing up, and then $20 per month for as long as the user participates. The maximum length is one year, and the plugin must be installed on all PCs located in the home.

Re: Check out what I got in the mail today!! Google wants to track my internet usage!

Google is also offering an even more extensive and lucrative plan for those who don't mind sharing information from multiple computers. This second program involves setting up a data collector router to the local network in addition to installing the browser plugin. Google will pay participants $100 for just signing up, and then $20 per month for as long as the user participates. The maximum length is one year, and the plugin must be installed on all PCs located in the home.

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 14646990

Were you also recruited for this lucrative plan?

I would have never thought this would happen. This is such and invasion of privacy!

I wonder what this custom research will be used for?

Anyone have any ideas? I'm just dumbfounded right now.. I really wanted to share this with GLP.

Re: Check out what I got in the mail today!! Google wants to track my internet usage!

Dr. Dennis is responsible for managing Government and Academic Research for Knowledge Networks

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 14447738

So does this mean he is trying to data mine our knowledge through technology?.. Aliens much? My boss is a very intelligent individual, I mean I know degrees don't mean much but she has a Ph.D in dermatology, very respected in her field parse.

She also review countless of papers everyday for many different journals. This could be why she was recruited by these assholes. They are trying to data mine her work. A lot of research goes through these wires, believe me.

"Vershofen’s treatise of 8 August 1934 on "Broad-based consumer surveying" represents the birth certificate of GfK, which was registered as a society headquartered in Berlin.

The aim of the society, which was named "Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung” shortly after its establishment, was described in its articles of association as: "A company whose purpose is to examine the habits and attitudes of consumers to consumer goods within the territory of the German Reich by appropriate measures on a continuous basis using special surveys and to process the findings of such studies according to scientific principles for the purposes of economic practice and teaching.” This was the birth of institutional market research in Germany." -- [link to www.gfk.com]

It gets creepier. Their motto is "Own the Future."

I don't have time to do this, but I suggest that if interested, you look for connections to Nazi operations, and Operation Paperclip.

Re: Check out what I got in the mail today!! Google wants to track my internet usage!

I don't get it, why would Google want to pay someone for what they already do for free?

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1364121

Many people are waking up and starting to use alternative search engines and deleting anything google and blocking google connections from their computers and perhaps they are targeting these type of people.

Re: Check out what I got in the mail today!! Google wants to track my internet usage!

Actually, I'm wondering if it is some kind of psychology experiment/survey. Would a "rare" two dollar bill influence more people to sign up than five single bills (even though they are worth more). Has anyone signed up to see if the internet/TV data collection does in fact take place?

Re: Check out what I got in the mail today!! Google wants to track my internet usage!

Actually, I'm wondering if it is some kind of psychology experiment/survey. Would a "rare" two dollar bill influence more people to sign up than five single bills (even though they are worth more). Has anyone signed up to see if the internet/TV data collection does in fact take place?

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 15003405

It does take place. I received the devices last week and installed them. I received the Cisco router and 3 "TV Tabs" which are Samsung Galaxy Players with preinstalled software. You can't use them for anything else but the screenwise tv monitoring. Now, I will have to wait and see if they actually pay me the $100 startup plus the monthly payments.

Re: Check out what I got in the mail today!! Google wants to track my internet usage!

I actually checked this out and guess what not only is it legit, they are paying me by the month to yes track what I research, look at and watch on tv! Why should I care if they want to track it since I am not doing anything wrong! Not searching to make drugs or bombs so why not let them pay me. They sent me all kinds of equipment and some one to install it all free of charge, I got a $ 100 for installing and making $50 a month just to have the gear in my house. Unless you are a criminal why not make some cash! MOrons!